By early 1968, Buffalo Springfield had also disintegrated over personal issues, and after aiding in putting together the band’s final album, Stephen Stills found himself unemployed by the summer. He and Crosby began meeting informally and jamming, the results of one encounter in Florida on Crosby’s schooner being the song “Wooden Ships,” composed in collaboration with another guest, Paul Kantner.[2]
Graham Nash had been introduced to Crosby when the Byrds had toured the UK in 1966, and when the Hollies ventured to California in 1968, Nash resumed his acquaintance with Crosby.[3] At a party in July 1968 at Cass Elliot's house, Nash asked Stills and Crosby to repeat their performance of a new song by Stills, “You Don't Have To Cry,” with Nash improvising a second harmony part.[4] The vocals gelled, and the three realized that they had a unique vocal chemistry.
Feel Your Love
Crosby Stills & Nash Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This city dancing like a sparkling sea
I wanna catch a wave, I wanna swim to shore
Walk on that same beach like I did before
I really want the sun, want the sun to rise
I really want to end the night
I really wanna feel, wanna feel your love
I think of our old friends, I count my enemies
I hear you tell me how I don't know love
I wanna feel your love, I wanna lay right down
Wish I was swimming in the sound of love
I really want the night, want the night to end
I really want the sun to rise
I really wanna feel, wanna feel your love
I wanna feel your love
And now the night is still, the mansion on the hill
The children sleeping in their endless dreams
I wanna feel your love, I wanna feel your love
I wanna feel your love, feel your love, feel your love
I wanna feel your love, I wanna feel your love
I wanna feel your love, feel your love, feel your love
The lyrics of "Feel Your Love" by Crosby Stills & Nash describe a longing for a lost love and a desire to recapture the joy and happiness of that time. The first verse sets the scene with the singer standing on a balcony, looking out over a city that feels like a "sparkling sea". The city is alive with movement and energy, but the singer is restless and just wants to "catch a wave" and "swim to shore" so they can walk on the same beach they once did with their lover. They crave the warmth and comfort they used to feel in that familiar place.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's desire to feel their lover's love once again. They want the night to end and the sun to rise so they can be reunited with that love. The second verse reveals some regret and sadness, with the singer thinking about old friends and counting enemies. They remember their lover telling them they don't know love, which implies some level of judgment or criticism. Regardless, the singer still wants to feel that love and wishes they could dive into it like swimming in a pool of sound.
The final verse brings the song to a quiet close, with the mansion on the hill and the children sleeping in their dreams. The singer's only thought is still of feeling their lover's love, and they repeat the chorus several times to drive home their insistence on this point. Overall, "Feel Your Love" is a wistful and nostalgic song that evokes a sense of loss and yearning.
Line by Line Meaning
High on a balcony, right where we used to be
Standing on a high balcony, where we once stood.
This city dancing like a sparkling sea
The city is vibrant and alive, like waves on the sea.
I wanna catch a wave, I wanna swim to shore
I wish to ride the waves and reach the shore, just like before.
Walk on that same beach like I did before
I want to relive those cherished moments by walking on the same beach as before.
I really want the sun, want the sun to rise
I long for the sun to rise and illuminate my hopes and dreams.
I really want to end the night
I desire the night to end and a new day to begin.
I really wanna feel, wanna feel your love
I yearn for the feeling of being wrapped in your love.
I wanna feel your love
I want to feel your love, completely and deeply.
I think of our old friends, I count my enemies
I reminisce about our old friends and reflect on my enemies.
I hear you tell me how I don't know love
I remember you saying that I do not understand love.
I wanna feel your love, I wanna lay right down
I want to feel your love, and lay down beside you.
Wish I was swimming in the sound of love
I wish to be immersed in the blissful sound of love.
I really want the night, want the night to end
I really wish the night to end, and let the morning begin.
And now the night is still, the mansion on the hill
Now the night is quiet, and the mansion atop the hill is still.
The children sleeping in their endless dreams
The children are sleeping, blissful and free, in their boundless dreams.
I wanna feel your love, I wanna feel your love
I crave to feel your love, with all my heart.
I wanna feel your love, feel your love, feel your love
I want to feel your love, unmistakably and completely.
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.